Authentic Christmas

My wife and I were on our date day earlier this week and got onto the conversation of our best and worst Christmases as kids. I couldn't think of a best, but my worst was easy. To make a long story short...I asked for a WEIGHT SET and received a CHESS SET. Now I ask you, how was I supposed to become an ATHLETIC BEAST with a CHESS SET??? What's the point of a Christmas list if you are not even going to pay it any attention??? Ok, I'm done with my rant, but clearly not over the chess set incident:) The point is that 30 years later I've come a long way with my understanding of the true meaning of Christmas. My greatest joy now at this time of year is giving not getting. Maybe contrary to most parents my greatest joy is NOT giving to my own kids. They are abundantly blessed year round and have a great home. They lack for nothing. Because of that, my great joy is buying gifts for those in need whom I've ever met. Like many in Real Life Family Center, the Huntsman family purchased meals and toys for local under resourced families.  I am very proud to be part of a church that this Christmas year has given toys, meals, stockings and other gifts to over 340 families. I LOVE THAT!!! I truly believe that giving makes us more like God. His character is that of a giver - The Ultimate Giver. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and fully embrace the unbelievable generosity of history's greatest Giver. Then...pass it on.

Making History - Living HIS STORY.

Maybe it's a by-product of getting older, but I am finding myself more and more aware of the flow of history. This last Sunday was Pearl Harbor day and I have caught myself thinking of how terrible it must have been to be there. I then thought about our nation's response following the attack. It was during that time that my mom was a little girl. She used to tell me about the rationing of certain goods and materials so the military could have what it needed to win in Europe and the Pacific theaters of war. During this time "Rosie the riveter" was born and the nation pulled together to help us win WWII. Two thoughts dominate my mind...First, I am INCREDIBLY blessed by the sacrifice of countless men and women who have gone before me. Secondly, I then have a responsibility to those around me and coming behind me. This is not just a good thing, it is a GOD thing!   I am reminded that I'm not just a PART of history I am supposed to help MAKE it!  I'm not just a participant in history, as a Christ follower, I am to be an active part in HIS STORY.  

The Election

We wake up this morning with a new president elect. Like many Christians across this nation and certainly here at Real Life Family Center I have mixed emotions. I am sad to see our nation continue a trend of wandering so far away from the original design of our nation's founders and so far away from the heritage of faith that our nation was built upon. On the other hand I am hopeful. My hope and prayer is that this will mobilize Christ-followers everywhere to pray more passionately, serve more effectively and give more generously. The fact of the matter is that the government, no matter how led, was never designed to meet the most important needs of the human soul. Only God Himself can do that and THAT is the message of the church. As long as the church in any nation is vibrant, alive and passionately pursuing its mission in its context there is hope. Remember to pray for our new leaders at every level. Whether you voted for them or not, believe in them or not, the Bible urges us to pray for our leaders. 

Today is a GREAT DAY to demonstrate to someone else the hope and joy that God gives us through Christ.

Spirituality Revealed

We are halfway through this new series and I am getting so many good comments on it. Many people getting new clarification and understanding at what a real, spiritual Christian life entails. We have, so far, discussed the basic fundamentals of spirituality and then last week, the Fruit of that connection with God. I hope you are being "fruitful" in your life with Christ. If not, check your connection to Him and the environment you are planted in. You are meant to live a great life for God. Have a great day!!!

Real Spirituality

Real Life Family Center is about to bring some clarity to one of the most clouded issues of our time & in our nation. The issue of spirituality. This subject has enormous amounts of confusion attached to it. The United States considers itself a very spiritual nation and Washington state would echo the same sentiment. Somehow it has become possible to be spiritual without being Christian. There are many ideas about active spirituality that span the spectrum...from beads to tarot cards to crystals to chanting to channeling Ramtha to ....whew! I could go on & on. We are going to cut through the clutter & investigate what authentic Christian spirituality is. We will also expose the untruths in the claims of all other religious and "spiritual" systems. If you have or know of people who do have questions about the authenticity of Christianity or the claims of other trains of thought this will be a great series to take in.

"Spirituality Revealed" begins this next weekend. See you there!

Faith in Action

It's 7 a.m. Saturday, July 5th & the RLFC parking lot is buzzing with energy as we load up our 8 vehicles for our journey to Mexico. A team of 47 people is being sent & supported by the awesome family of RLFC to minister to several hundred kids in El Gulfo, Mexico as well as build a children's center that will not only be a blessing to them but their children. We have been doing this trip, in many different locations for 13 years now. I LOVE watching a church rally together to do works of significance. Whether its building a house locally for a needy family, helping New Orleans recover from Katrina, giving to our own 24:7 campaign or investing in kids a continent away I LOVE watching the church in action. Faith in action is what causes us to grow. There will be adults & youth alike on this trip who see, feel, hear (& smell:) things they never have before. We will get to watch their faith grow before our very eyes. Not only that but watching our church give generously, pray vigorously & support enthusiastically causes an entire church to grow as well.

Is your faith in action? Have you put feet to words? Let's all make sure we don't just give God our lip service....He deserves REAL service. So, RLFC....Here We Go!

Mountain Lessons

I'm down from my 3rd successful summit of mount Rainier & very much appreciate everyone's prayers and encouragement. It was my best summit ever and had a great time with the wedding party & the successful summit wedding. We all made it up & down safely & had a great time doing it.
While climbing Rainier there is AMPLE time to think about things (not much else to do as you put one foot in front of the other for 6 straight hours...& that's just going up!). I think about my wife, my kids, my church, upcoming messages, my relationship with God, my blessed life, etc...I realized that there are MANY life analogies to mountain climbing i.e. Overcoming Obstacles, Rewards for Perseverence, Proper Preparation, Don't Settle for Valleys, & many more. Each is a great message, but the one analogy that stuck out to me this time more than any other is...Don't Go It Alone!!! Climbing a tough mountain like Rainier ALONE is not only dangerous it is foolish. There are steep slopes, rock & ice falls, crevasses & treacherous terrain. The entire way up & down the upper slopes I was roped into a team of 4 with an experienced guide. That way if one falls down the other 3 can catch him before disaster. In addition to safety the team also provides great encouragement & affirmation. Even when silent, there is great motivation for not wanting to let the team down. This is also so very true with life...Don't Go It Alone. So many people try to live life on their own...no group support, little affirmation, no one to help pull them out of a ditch or warn them of a danger. As a result marriages fail, finances evaporate and character crumbles. It doesn't have to be so...Get Connected. Find 2 or 3 people or a community group, someone who is heading where you want to go and go with them. The Bible book of Ecclesiastes (4:7-12) has something to say about this wisdom. Listen, life is hard enough to try to climb all of life's mountains on your own. Get connected with the right people and you will make it to the top. Keep Climbing!!!

Expectations

Yesterday I found myself with a very stinky attitude. I had been working on our property for several hours trying to figure out a water problem that has been dogging us for months. We have 2 different wells, each with their own pumps and valves & stuff that I don't quite understand. Each pump system has a leaky pipe somewhere causing low water pressure. To make a long, boring story short. I thought I had fixed the problem when low and behold...NOPE! I was GRUMPY!! I told my wife, "I just want to punch something."

I have found that one of my personal biggest irritations in life is...Unmet Expectations. It's amazing how fast I can get irritated or frustrated when people or things don't go as I thought they should. Whether it is a customer service person who never learned the service part or one of my kids who doesn't act like he/she should or ???? Can anyone reading this identify? I have to constantly remind myself that God never promised the world would revolve around my expectations or desires. The world has NO obligation to make me happy. Happiness, or better yet, JOY, is a choice that comes from the inside out. Comes from recognizing the bigger picture. Long lines, poor service, backed up traffic or even low water pressure are hardly worth me getting all out of whack. God, help us, even in the face of unmet expectations, whether from people or things, to keep our eyes on you.

Climbing Mountains

I am the world's worst blogger I believe:) Haven't been here in so long I forgot my username and password...lol. Anyway, I decided to become a better blogger and share a few thoughts here.
I am about to attempt to climb Mt. Rainier again. I was invited by an East Coast couple to marry them atop Rainier & I jumped at the chance. I have been training hard, watching my diet, trying to get enough sleep and making sure I have all the proper gear. The training is the most intenstive part. Five times a week I am out in my shop lifting iron, doing endless pullups and crunching till my abs are crying. There are times my legs or back are so sore it is tough to move the next day. But you don't just stroll up Mt. Rainier you have to PREPARE for it and WORK for it. The same is true for life. I've learned that the best blessings, greatest experiences and deepest learning is on THE OTHER SIDE OF MOUNTAINS! Life isn't a moving sidewalk or stroll in the park...some treasures require lots of climbing. Let me encourage you...when you find yourself facing an uphill trudge, whether it is in a relationship or finances or employment or some emotional hill to climb, it is well worth it. So, start climbing my friend and know that God will strengthen you for the journey and meet you at the summit.